A new Safe Work Australia report has revealed the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry continues to see the highest rate of deaths at work, despite overall downward trends in work-related fatalities.
According to the latest Key Work Health and Safety Statistics Australia report, 195 people were fatally injured at work in 2022, compared to 172 the year prior.
The agriculture, fishing and forestry industry saw a rate of 14.7 deaths per 100,000 workers, compared to 10.4 per 100,000 in 2021.
Transport, postal and warehousing saw a rate of 9.5 deaths per 100,000 in 2022, and electricity, gas, water and waste at 3 per 100,000.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing also accounted for 22 per cent of all fatalities in 2022, with 44 people killed at work.
Across all industries, 93pc of worker fatalities were male, with 42pc involving a vehicle. Machinery operators and drivers had the highest number of fatalities by occupation, with 74 deaths in 2022.
In the ten years from 2012, however, the traumatic injury fatality rate for Australian workers has fallen by 30pc.
Safe Work Australia CEO Michelle Baxter said the overall trends are encouraging, but the numbers remain too high.
"Every work-related fatality is a tragedy, and there's a lot more work to be done to ensure that everyone gets home safely," Ms Baxter said.
"We know that work-related fatalities, injuries and disease have a devastating impact on workers and their families.
"This report brings together key data that will help inform improved WHS policy and practice to make Australian workplaces safer and healthier."
Agriculture, forestry and fishing also had the highest frequency rate of serious compensation claims, with 10.9 serious claims made per million hours worked over 2021-22p.
The industries contributed just 3,900 of the 127,800 claims in the period, or 3pc of total claims.
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